Alcohol production at two of the main distilleries of Sri Lanka, which was temporarily suspended by the Excise Department earlier today, has resumed.
The Excise Department announced that alcohol production at W.M. Mendis & Co. and Randenigala Distilleries resumed after the two companies settled tax arrears amounting to Rs. 116 million.
Earlier today, the department said had temporarily suspended alcohol production at the two main distilleries due to the failure to pay taxes.
In November, W M Mendis & Co Ltd and Randenigala Distilleries Lanka (Pvt) Ltd were among the five companies whose licences were suspended by the Excise Department.
At the time, the Department said that the licences of the five liquor manufacturing companies were suspended after their annual licences had not been renewed due to the failure to pay tax arrears.
Following the suspension, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya informed the Parliament that the five liquor production companies owed tax arrears amounting to Rs. 2,715 million to the government.
The State Minister further said that the total tax default with the three per cent penalty for default stands at Rs. 6,721 million. (NewsWire)
